INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL FACTORS ON EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

The factors militating against effective teaching and learning involve a lot of challenges within the academy environment of the learner. Perhaps, late application to the school of choice, late admission offered to the learner even when the teacher’s have resume educating other students in the school, it lead to late registration from the parents thereby presenting some agricultural tools like cutlass, hoes, brooms and rake.

However, the teacher most have treated some topics to the other students in class which may be difficult to re-teach the same topics because the education curriculum and syllabus need to be covered at each term in the school and insufficient teachers also contribute to it.

1.1 Background of the Study

The effective teaching and learning is affected by the following social factors including cultural backgrounds, family arrangement and school background. The surrounding or environment where the students grow up with some character, habit, value and learning of languages. In junior secondary school some time mother language is used to convey information when teaching

which enable they students to comprehend what a topic of a particular subject elaborate, without using the native language they students find it very difficult to learn and flow with other students in the class. (Snowman,1997). The family arrangement influence children because learning begins first in a family which involve moral training given to the children where the father teach the male children his trade and mother teach the female children domestic works and how to be a good wife in a family. (Toomas,2011). Generally children stay with their parents more often than the teachers which means without proper monitoring, guidance, counseling, directing and regular checking of their lesson book to find out if they are participating in the class or not thereby encouraging them to focus and study, solve exercise given and realize if the comprehend what has being taught to them. The relevance of school environment cannot be overemphasized. This is because, school environment has tremendous influence in the quality of teaching and learning receives by the students and to the extent of attention they pay to lesson in school. It thus shows that schools that fail to provide the necessary learning facilities and create a favorable atmosphere for teaching and learning may hardly put in the best in their students especially in the area of academic performance. This situation has been among the reason for poor academic performance of students in many junior secondary schools in the study area. But some parent care not about their children performance in class but they are after money. Wechsler, D. (1949). The parents value money than education in most family.However,education is a tool for acquiring the right skills, ability and competence both mental and physical, it’s also equipped individual to be responsible and contribute to the development of the society. Baltes, P., Reinert, G. (1969). The process of teaching and training of the child which has to do with imparting knowledge and acquiring skills for a particular trade or profession,education is the most important component of human resources development which is the pride of many countries. There is no doubt that the importance of education cannot be overemphasis because there is no country that has succeeded without educating its people. Education according to Osokoya (2009) helps to improve security, health, prosperity and ecological balance in the world. It encourages social economy and cultural progress, tolerance, national and international cooperation. Akomolafe (2009) describes education as most effective means of curbing population growth, reducing child mortality, eradicating poverty and ensuring democracy, peace and sustainable development. 

The School environment can be seen as a micro-system that comprises both the academic, physical, social and affective environment. The multidisciplinary nature of the four components of the school environment determines the quality of education offered in schools. Each component has a specific role to play in the determination of educational outcomes. School physical environment facilitates teaching and learning and therefore determines academic performance of pupils. Baltes, P., Reinert, G. (1969). The determinant of academic performance or performance of a student is not only lying on student’s Intelligence. The performance of any student is most of the time associated with a many components of learning environment. Lizzio, Wilson & Simons (2002). 

According to Bosque and Dore (1998), the environment for teaching and learning ought to include these six functions: communicate, inform, collaborate, produce, scaffold and manage. Furthermore, they added that based on “concept, the learning environment refers to the whole range of components and activities within which learning takes place”. The learning environment consists of several variables that have direct and indirect effect on students’ academic performances. 

Before now, Environmental influence have been looked into as one of the factors that can affect academic performance of students in junior secondary schools hence it has little or no attention in educational discourse and consideration. But in past decade, alots of researches have indicated a correlation between the environment and academic performance of students. Environment plays major role in the life of every individual whether a students, teachers, employer or employee. Though some people are yet to believe that environment brings about better performance.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The impacts of cultural background, family arrangement, Late application,increase in school fee, insufficient teachers, teaching method an instructional material used,lack of facilities in place and school environment on academic performance of students in secondary schools have been an issue of concern to all stakeholders in education. This is evident in the rate of mass failure of students in both internal and external examinations, as revealed by research studies. Nigeria has many secondary schools and these schools are established at various places by both government and private which teaching and learning takes place under different environment. Every school has its location, facilities and operates under diverse classroom condition, at a completion of junior secondary education. Uniform performance is expected from all the candidates since they were taught using the same curriculum and syllabus but in most cases some schools seem to fall short in all respect. In view of this, there must be a definite determinant that is really responsible for the constant failure or success of various schools. To find out this, it has become necessary to investigate the nature and pattern for our secondary schools so as to evaluate the academic performance of students in schools in with respect to the learning environment. 

1.3 Aim and Objectives

The aim of this project is to achieve effective teaching and learning in government day junior secondary school demsawo, yola north local government area of Adamawa state. The objectives of this project are:-

1.To normalize the school fee which enable parents to apply and pay in time.

2.To dispense school admission in time.

3.To provide sufficient facilities and structures in place.

3.To employ sufficient teachers.

4.To improve teaching method and instructional material used.

5.To improve the teacher and students intellect.

1.4 Research Question

1.What are the factors affecting effective teaching and learning?

2.How can the factors militating against learning be amended?

3.What are the processes to realize effective learning?

4.Who are to address the difficulties facing teaching and learning?

5.What would be done to improve teaching and learning?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

When the management board hold meeting on the difficulties facing the school and as they carry out research on it, effective teaching and learning will be achieved.

The teacher can ease the difficulties in learning via encouraging peer learner group.

The teachers enhance the achievement of effective teaching and learning via motivation,  method of teaching and teaching aid.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The impacts of cultural background, family arrangement and school environment on academic performance of students in secondary schools have been an issue of concern to all stakeholders in education. This is evident in the rate of mass failure of students in both internal and external examinations, as revealed by research studies. Nigeria has many secondary schools and these schools are established at various places by both government and private which teaching and learning takes place under different environment. Every school has its location, facilities and operates under diverse classroom condition, at a completion of junior secondary school. Uniform performance is expected from all the candidates since they were taught using the same curriculum and syllabus but in most cases some schools seem to fall short in all respect. In view of this, there must be a definite determinant that is really responsible for the constant failure or success of various schools. To find out this, it has become necessary to investigate the nature and pattern for our secondary schools so as to evaluate the academic performance of students in schools in  respect to the learning environment. The effective teaching and learning is essential to every school that admits and adheres to it which include the following:-

The facilities in place like class room, benches, practical lab and library enhance studying.

The teaching aid helps in assimilation of the learner.

 The method of teaching is useful for different learners in school like slow, average and fast learners.

The encouragement of peer learning group in school speed up learning.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This research is developed to improve the effective teaching and learning in government day junior secondary school demsawo inyola north local government area of adamawa state metropolis.

1.8 Limitations of Study 

The possible limitation to this study will be due to the cost. That is the cost of obtaining a large population for comprehensive study. The time required for further study of the effect of environment on academic performance of student in schools. Some schools may have negative view about the study thus leading to refusal to accept questionnaires, Students and teachers refusing to return the questionnaires due to forgetfulness or other personal reasons, this can result to reduction of sample size.

1.9 Definition of Terms 

Facilities: refers to available infrastructure that make learning easier to student’s outcome. It includes Classroom, Desk and Chairs, Staffroom/Tables and Chairs, Laboratory/equipment, Workshop/equipment, Instructional materials, Toilet, Kitchen, Dining Halls, Assembly Halls, power plant, School farm/Garden, Pitch, Sports equipment, Sources of water and others. 

Academic Performance: simply means the outcome of the educational goals that are achieved either by the students or teacher. 

Impact: As used here, impact means a noticeable effect of school facilities on the teaching and learning in junior secondary schools. 

Learning: Activity of obtaining knowledge and skills.

 School: is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the guidance and direction of teachers.

Learning Environment: this refers to the diverse physical locations, contexts and culture in which students learns. In other words, it is the condition and influence which a learner comes in contact with, resulting in a series of complex interactions and ensuring change in behavior. 

School atmosphere: is critically linked to risk prevention, academic performance improvement and health promotion. 

Teaching Aid or Instructional Materials: these are the devices developed or acquired to assist teachers to capture the attention of students and transmit knowledge, skills to learners.

T-test: A T-test is a statistical test that is used to compare the means of two groups. It is often used in hypothesis testing to determine whether a process or treatment actually has an effect on the population of interest, or whether two groups are different from one another.